Majority of Americans Support U.S. Drone Campaign

Though more than six in ten Americans support the administration’s campaign of drone strikes against extremist leaders, majorities in many other nations oppose this tactic

About six-in-ten Americans (62%) approve of the U.S. government’s drone campaign targeting extremist leaders and groups in nations such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

That puts opinion in the U.S. at odds with most of the other nations surveyed this year by the Pew Global Attitudes Project. The drone policy is unpopular in majority-Muslim nations, but also in Europe and other regions.

In 17 of 20 countries surveyed, more than half of those surveyed disapprove of the strikes . At least three-in-four hold this view in a diverse set of countries: Greece (90%), Egypt (89%), Jordan (85%), Turkey (81%), Spain (76%), Brazil (76%) and Japan (75%).

In the U.S., support is especially high among Republicans (74%), but most independents (60%) and Democrats (58%) also approve. Read More

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.